Opinion

Editorial: Private charity focuses on public good

Temecula's Responsible Compassion involves two major efforts by the city: reducing the number of homeless who have come to take advantage of services, while improving aid to local residents who are homeless.

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Editorial: Private charity focuses on public good

A homeless man stands on the center divider and panhandles for money on Winchester Rd and Jefferson Ave, in Temecula, April,08, 2014. The City of Temecula adopting a new approach to combating homelessness that includes a public campaign, more enforcement and a new operator of the Pujol Street pantry.

Hereâs the kind of program we like to help the homeless. It uses private charities and works to assist the homeless in breaking the cycle of poverty so theyâre not stuck in bureaucratic systems. And it comes at no added cost to the taxpayers.

On Tuesday, the Temecula City Council voted unanimously for a new approach to helping the cityâs estimated 80 homeless persons. Itâs called Responsible Compassion and involves two major efforts by the city: reducing the number of homeless who have come to the city specifically to take advantage of its services, while improving aid to local residents who are homeless.

âWhat weâre trying to do is make a framework to weed out those who are coming here to aggressively panhandle and break the law,â Community Services Director Kevin Hawkins told us. âThereâs a process to identify those who are residents and nonresidents. There are those who may be âpantry-hopping,â itâs called, who take advantage of the system. But if someone is looking for a hand-up, we will provide them with a hand-up.â

He said the pantry-hopping especially affects Temecula, where the homeless come for the same reasons as other people: a mild climate, a safe environment and giving residents. But city charities canât take care of everyone, only those residents who fall on hard times.

He said Responsible Compassion identifies four types of homelessness:

1. Those who want a hand-up to regain self-sufficiency.

2. Those who may suffer from mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorders or other conditions.

3. Those who refuse help and choose to live outdoors, but still observe the law.

4. Those who refuse help and make a conscious decision to be homeless. âThose are the ones that may be engaging in illegal activity,â Mr. Hawkins said. âThatâs where we get the reports of theft, public intoxication, trespassing, etc.â

Mayor Maryann Edwards told us the new approach combines âthe best of the old and the new.â The âoldâ is the Temecula Community Pantry, which provides the homeless three meals a day for eight days. The Pantry, as itâs usually called, would continue its work of providing food and blankets to the homeless. But it would do so but in conjunction with the ânewâ and more comprehensive services of the Community Mission of Hope. The city owns the Pantryâs building, but leases it for $1 a year to the non-profit group.

According to the Missionâs website, its goal is not only to provide food, but counseling to those in need in conjunction with âpartners who are willing to step up and give a hand to their neighbors in need.â

Mayor Edwards said the old model handed out food and blankets, but didnât address the underlying problem of homelessness. âIt really was more of an enabler than anything,â she said. By contrast, the new model helps the âaccidental homelessâ to start over again and get their lives back together.

If needed, help from the Mission will include counseling for medical conditions and addiction problems. âThey have to enter a particular program and make progress toward self-sufficiency, whether itâs six months, 12 months, 18 months,â Mayor Edwards said.

The part we especially like about Temeculaâs Responsible Compassion program is that the city is only facilitating private actions. Mr. Hawkins said the cityâs role is to create the organizational framework that will be spearheaded by the Mission and the other private groups.

âNone is at taxpayer expense,â Mayor Edwards said. âMission of Hope is all funded by donations and grants, and not at taxpayer expense. And I think thatâs the way that these types of things should work. Because there are non-profits out there, and they do it much better than government could ever do it.â

Weâll be watching to see how Responsible Compassion works in practice. But it seems to us that this is the right â" that is, private â" way to help those most in need.

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